Corporate Profile Examples

Profile

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Empowering the Self-Care Emergence We speak to GSK Ireland Country Manager Dave Barrett about the increased awareness of self-care and the role GSK plays in empowering consumers Dave Barrett, Country Manager, GSK Ireland

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider,” and add in subsequent publications that “self-care interventions are among the most promising and exciting new approaches to improve health and well-being, both from a health systems perspective and for people who use these interventions.”

“I am proud of my history with GSK, and was delighted to be asked to return home to manage the divestment of our drinks business and re-establish GSK as a leading consumer healthcare provider,” he says.

There has never been a time of greater awareness as to the importance of effective self-care than now. As Covid-19 moved from outbreak to epidemic and subsequently, pandemic, it has brought with it an immediate need for a health system transformation whereby less dependency on healthcare professionals is key.

Dave is now Country Manager for GSK’s Consumer Healthcare business, overseeing the company’s evolution through multiple changes including joint ventures and many successful new product launches, such as Voltarol 2% Gel and Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum.

With community pharmacists and allied professionals such as GPs face unprecedented pressure, empowering consumers to selfcare where appropriate is vital.

Industry, of course, will have to adapt to this shift.

GSK are already steps ahead of the game, synonymous for their work within this area. We recently caught up with Country Manager Dave Barrett to dig a little deeper into how they are supporting pharmacy and consumers within the self-care arena.

“Since back in Ireland, I have had the pleasure of Chairing the IPHA Consumer Healthcare division for almost four years, during which time we worked closely with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) to really amplify the importance of self-care to our consumers and patients.”

He continues, “At GSK, we have a very structured approach to running our business, but despite this, every day genuinely feels different. Our business is commercially focused, and I lead a team of passionate, dedicated professionals, who I let get on with their roles as much as possible.

Overseeing Evolution

“From my own perspective, I always prioritise customer and consumer focused actions, with as many customer meetings as possible while continuously reviewing our consumer execution plans.”

Dave Barrett has been a part of the GSK family for just over 30 years, having moved through the sales function from Territory Representative, Business Unit management in Ireland and Sales Director in their UK business for the Pharmacy and Field teams.

Reflecting on the last twelve months, Brexit preparations were on the agenda of all pharmaceutical companies, not just in Ireland but across Europe. Despite the arrival of Covid-19 diverting this focus, the challenges remain.

“At GSK, we recognise the essential role that pharmacists and pharmacy teams play in the healthcare system and we’re committed to supporting them through industry leading category training and innovative product launches" PHARMACYNEWSIRELAND.COM

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Profile

Overcoming Challenges “Compared to 2020, 2019 feels like a long time ago now,” Dave adds. “As a Pan-Ireland business, the biggest challenge for us last year was preparing for Brexit and ensuring no disruption to supply.

While we know the UK has now left the EU, this challenge remains ahead of us. With no extension to the transition period requested by the UK government, we now have less than five months to understand the implications of a potential No Deal exit by our near neighbours.

“As a large company, with Headquarters in London, we were uniquely placed to prepare for Brexit. Specialist teams were put in place as soon as the vote took place. Extensive planning with Supply Chain, Quality, Finance and Regulatory as well as with key stakeholders such as the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) allowed us to ensure that the impact could be kept as low as possible.”

Whilst 2020 thus far has played out in a way no-one could ever have predicted, there have been numerous positives for Dave to note.

“This year has been full of ups and downs, which included me fulfilling my own selfcare driven dream of getting to Everest base camp (and back) in early March. I am also immensely proud of the achievements of the team in GSK with regards to a number of accomplishments and milestones.”

One of these has been the successful integration of the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare business, bringing together two legacy teams as a single operational entity in GSK Consumer Healthcare.

“Completed on April 27th, this joint venture brings together an array of fantastic brands including Sensodyne, Voltarol, Panadol, Corsodyl, Centrum and Nexium,” he says.

“The combined portfolio means GSK strengthens its positions in pain relief, respiratory, vitamins, minerals and supplements, and therapeutic oral health categories and cements the company’s position as the world’s number one OTC business.

“I’m also really proud of our consistent market performance, which has been maintained

despite all the new and unique challenges of managing the integration of two great business during a global pandemic, where our priority has been the safety and wellbeing of our teams. Our performance has been helped in no small part by the successful launches of products like Corsodyl alcohol free mouthwash, Corsodyl Complete Protection and Panadol Actifast Soluble.”

Leading the Way As already mentioned, GSK are identifiable by their presence within the self-care market, amongst others, being well placed to help redefine the role of selfcare in people’s lives through responsible education and scientifically-backed brands.

Dave continues, “The Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most significant moments in our recent history. The magnitude of its impact has unsurprisingly caused many people to change and re-evaluate their behaviors across different aspects of their lives. Their health is one of these.

“Self-care is not a new concept; people have always taken action to look after their personal health and treat minor illnesses.

Although by definition, self-care can take place without the need to visit a healthcare professional, effective and safe self-care is best undertaken with the benefit of professional advice. Pharmacists have the skills and training to ensure that patients have an open source of professional expertise in self-care matters.

“Patients are no longer passive recipients of healthcare and advice. Greater health literacy and greater access to information, combined with increased individual interest in personal health and personal choice, is leading to more and more patients actively looking after themselves.

In addition, public awareness has increased the importance of certain lifestyle factors, such as avoidance of smoking and a balanced diet, in maintaining health and preventing illness.

“In this context, self-care can be seen as the most widely available form of healthcare. As pressure grows on the Irish healthcare system, self-care will come to be seen as a means of controlling and rationalising healthcare and medication costs. If we are to successfully confront the demands on our health system as the population ages, we need

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to ensure that we all stay fit and healthy for as long as possible.”

Thinking Differently As someone who has been improving his own health, through getting more active and improving diet, Dave firmly believes in the foundations and principles of self-care.

“I’m really proud of how the selfcare movement has developed in Ireland over the last few years.

“Pharmacists have always played a crucial role in selfcare and through the work of the IPHA, in collaboration with the Irish Pharmacy Union, we have started to get real traction with consumers and patients, encouraging us all to ‘Think Pharmacy First’.

“At GSK, we recognise the essential role that pharmacists and pharmacy teams play in the healthcare system and we’re committed to supporting them through industry leading category training and innovative product launches. GSK is committed to self-care, from staying fit and well, right through to ensuring the appropriate category therapeutic solutions are available when consumers become unwell.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly taught consumers in Ireland to become more aware about the importance of self-care, prompting them to make positive changes to their day-to-day lives for the benefit of their health.

“Covid-19 has forced us all to think and behave differently, not only as consumers but also as a healthcare industry. As self-care has been defined as ‘helping consumers proactively pursue healthy lives, but when unwell, think self-care and selfmedication’ there has never been a more important or relevant time for self-care.

“Our priorities through Covid-19 have been focused on maintaining a consistent supply and ensuring the safety of our team and those of our customers. Due to necessary restrictions on access, our HCP Customer teams have had to adapt their approach supporting pharmacy, using Microsoft Teams or Skype or indeed the oldfashioned telephone.”

Trusting Brands It has been said, that consumers

are now turning to brands they trust, those that are established with strong heritage and that are grounded in science. How has GSK managed to retain their brand strength, we asked.

“I 100% agree with this statement,” Dave notes.

“Consumers use brands they trust and believe in. At GSK

11 we’re grounded in science and committed to making the best decisions for our consumers and customers and we support our brands through extensive investment.

“Panadol Tablets are manufactured in Dungarvan Co Waterford and we have partnered with RTE to continuously remind

consumers of the science and heritage which are associated with this brand. Voltarol 2% Gel was one of the most successful Rx to OTC switches and is heavily supported via product training and in store presence.

“Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum and Corsodyl Alcohol Free Mouthwash are two of our most

recent therapeutic oral health launches, driven by consumer insight and supported through Dental education.”

In looking to the future, Dave notes that ability to adapt is going to be key.

“There is no doubt that we’re entering a new world which calls on us all to demonstrate great agility in our approach to managing the needs of our consumers and patients.

Challenges like keeping our staff and shoppers safe while achieving the best outcome per visit.

Dave Barrett, Country Manager, GSK Ireland

“We also see how consumers and patients are going online more, both for information and to purchase products. These shifts in consumer behaviour are not limited to consumer goods and we need to be ready for consumers / patients who use the internet as their source of information and also who seek to purchase their self-care products though that channel.

“GSK will continue to support pharmacies in providing education and making products available for pharmacists to provide the highest level of care for their patients. Individually and through IPHA, we will continue to support self-care and ensure that consumers and patients continue to think, pharmacy first.”

“Covid-19 has forced us all to think and behave differently, not only as consumers but also as a healthcare industry. As self-care has been defined as ‘helping consumers proactively pursue healthy lives, but when unwell, think self-care and selfmedication’ there has never been a more important or relevant time for self-care"

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Corporate Profile

83

Original ideas for better access to medicine Offering originality combined with cost savings without sacrificing quality. These are amongst the founding principles of parallel importing company, Originalis.

Kasper Yde, Sales and Business Development Director (left); Thibaut Evers, Project Manager Ireland

"Our size allows us to source Europe’s best prices with great reliability. We have excellent relationships with suppliers in many countries throughout the EU."

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riginalis supply original medicine at very attractive prices in Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK with more markets on the way. The company offer community pharmacists access to a wide and constantly growing product portfolio with a particular focus on specialty and High Tech medicine.

We spoke to the team to find out more about their company history, values and offering to the pharmacy profession within Ireland.

Originalis forms part of the Abacus Medicine Group, which is among the market leaders in parallel trade of pharmaceuticals in Europe.

Sales & Business Development Director Kasper Yde explains, “Abacus Medicine was founded by our CEO Flemming Wagner and his father, John Wagner, in 2004.

A

t this time, John was a practicing Danish doctor and was encountering patients on certain medication that were suffering shortages in Denmark. With the patient always the primary priority, he started looking beyond his own national border and found that he could import the medicine from Germany.

“He also found that he could do this at a lower price and therefore provide savings to the patient.”

It was this practice which the pharmaceutical industry has now come to know as ‘parallel distribution’ or ‘parallel importing’ and it was then that Flemming and John made the decision to take their idea further and began focusing on providing access to medicine and savings to more and more pharmacies throughout Denmark.

“Some sixteen years later we employ over 1,000 staff across Europe and are operating in 12 European markets providing better access to pharmacies and hospitals,” adds Thibaut Evers, Project Manager for Ireland.

Through parallel trade, the medicine suppled to pharmacists

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Corporate Profile

84

Europe’s highest healthcare costs per capita and, Kasper notes, Irish community pharmacy businesses are frequently squeezed for profits.

“We are here to reduce healthcare expenditure by providing the same medicine at better prices through our European network. The main challenges we faced this year were within the context of distribution set-up and reimbursements,” he explains.

“We wanted to provide excellent service with next day deliveries nationwide for both ambient and cold chain products. We have also realized that the reimbursement structure in Ireland is a lot more bureaucratic and time consuming compared to most other markets we operate in.”

Portfolio Development

T

he Originalis team are constantly adding new products to the existing portfolio and are in constant dialogue with the national healthcare authorities to provide savings.

Originalis’ local warehousing partner in Ballycoolin Dublin, RxSource

and, eventually patients, is original medicine purchased in another country within the EU. Originalis buy at lower prices in EU member countries and then repackage for the Irish market. “It is our way to offer the same original medicine, but at Originalis prices,” he says.

Origins of Growth

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riginalis are a very growth oriented business and operate in many markets.

Did you know?

• Originalis and Abacus Medicine repackages more than 75,000 packs of medicine every month • The used, old boxes are discarded and the medicine repackage in fresh, new ones • New boxes are good for quality, consistency and patient safety. But paper waste is not necessarily good for the environment • To minimize waste, the company send more than 10 tonnes of shredded paper waste for recycling each month • The paper waste is recycled into new paper products such as napkins and toilet paper

He continues, “Two years ago we started working with Uniphar on a number of pharmacy lines.

During 2020, we launched our own distribution in Ireland in order to expand our reach and offering to even more pharmacies.

“We continuously strive for excellence to meet our customer needs. One of our key focus areas is the reliability of supply. We have a strong network with European suppliers to ensure reliability of supply. In July we further strengthened our position with the acquisition of Pluripharm, one of the leading full-line wholesalers in the Netherlands.”

Maintaining this focus and pursuit of excellence is not without its challenges. Ireland has one of

“We are submitting many applications for which we are able to offer significant savings,” adds Kasper. “In the past few months our list of reimbursable items has been increased substantially and you will see our portfolio of attractive GMS and High Tech lines grow in the future as well.”

Turning to distribution, Originalis have decided to partner with the local sales and distribution agent RxSource located in Dublin Ballycoolin. “They are doing a fantastic job in making sure all products are delivered to pharmacists in the most effective way while providing an excellent customer service.”

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t has been argued in the past, that the complexity of how parallel imports are supplied can sometimes create problems such as risk of human error

The difference is in a box designed for Ireland A pharmaceutical product from Originalis is a product of the highest quality.

The medicine we supply to you is original medicine purchased in another country within the EU. We buy at lower prices in other EU member countries and then repackage for the Irish market. This is what is commonly known as parallel trade. It is our way to offer you the same original medicine, but at Originalis prices.

When we repackage medicine, we do so in boxes designed specifically for Ireland. Used, foreign boxes with lots of labels on is not the Originalis way. Instead, we discard the old boxes and deliver the original medicine in fresh, new boxes. This ensures a high and uniform quality appreciated by pharmacies and patients alike.

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in repackaging for example.

Following the right approaches is key, says Kasper.

“Our processes are highly standardized and we follow a best practice approach. The integrity of the medicine is never at risk as we do not open the actual product.

What we do is to repackage the outer packaging material. I would argue that we actually reduce the risk of falsification because we have additional falsification checks in place before repackaging.

“We are one of Europe’s largest parallel distributors with a revenue in 2019 of 421 million EUR. Our size allows us to source Europe’s best prices with great reliability.

We pursue a multi-market strategy and have therefore excellent relationships in many markets further strengthening our ability to source products on a continuous basis. If there is a shortage of an imported product in one country we can still source it from another because we diversify our supply chain. Another important factor is our high focus on quality.

“We have excellent quality processes for all our goods and we provide a box design that is called full replica. That means that our products cannot be distinguished from the original distributed in Ireland. Some of our competitors opt for a cheaper portfolio with over-labelling solutions but that is “ not where our focus lies.”

Harnessing Innovation

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ne of the key objectives set out by the team is to offer the same original medicine that the pharmacists are used to receiving.

“Compared to our competitors, you will see that we can offer many High Tech and cold chain items.

We help pharmacies realize better bottom line results, easing the financial pressure and allowing them to re-invest that money in more adding value activities for their patients.

Further, we are always looking to expand our portfolio to make it even more attractive for pharmacies to order from us. If any pharmacists are interested in collaborating with us or have specific requests, I would urge them to get in touch,” Thibaut says.

You can now even open an account with Originalis through IPN on the next page.

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Corporate Profile

Marking a Decade of Growth and Success Keith Sheridan, Sales & Marketing Manager with one of Ireland's leading generic pharmaceutical companies, Krka, speaks to Irish Pharmacy News about achieving record success despite challenges as the company relocate to new premises.

While we stay apart, we stand together supporting you

“All of our production meets the strictest national and international production and pharmaceutical standards (IMB, EU GMP, FDA GMP, WHO GMP) as well as quality management standards (ISO 9001, HACCP) and the requirements of the environmental management system (ISO 14001) as well as safety and health at work with following the principles of BS OHSAS 18001.”

Quality, safety and efficacy are major priorities at Krka. A vertically integrated quality assurance and production model ensure control of the whole process from the development of the raw materials to the manufacture of finished products.

“This model ensures that we can continue to deliver consistency in quality, value and supply to our customers,” Keith adds.

Keith's multi-functional role involves managing the marketing and sales staff whilst performing managerial duties to meet the company’s operational goals.

He explains, “As Sales and Marketing Manager I am responsible for researching and developing marketing opportunities and planning and implementing new sales plans.

Having established themselves within Ireland’s pharmaceutical sector with prescription medicines in 2011, generics company Krka is celebrating a decade of success next month (June).

Krka is one of the world’s leading generic pharmaceutical companies, whose medicines are used to treat more than 45 million patients every day in over 70 markets with 12,000 employees. Headquartered in Slovenia, the company has more

than 60 years of experience of manufacturing high quality generic pharmaceutical products.

The team are embracing 2021 with vigour, despite the challenges brought about during the previous 12 months due to Covid-19’s arrival on Irish shores. They have recently relocated to a new office in Dublin’s Citywest and embarked upon a team restructure, with new hires across sales, marketing, regulatory and finance.

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Consistency and Value “Our mission is to enable people to lead a healthy, good quality life,” says Keith Sheridan, Sales and Marketing Manager.

“Since we launched into Ireland in 2011, we have developed a portfolio of over 200 formulations covering a large number of therapeutic areas including Cardiovascular, CNS, and Gastro Intestinal.

“I have a strong belief that in order to be a successful Sales and Marketing Manager, you should have strong interpersonal, leadership and communication skills. Equally an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the remit is crucial.”

To that end, no two days are ever the same, he notes. From promoting the company's existing brands and introducing new products to the market to preparing annual budget plans, scheduling expenditures, and ensuring that the sales team meets their quotas and goals, are just some of Keith’s priorities.

59 “I am also involved in researching and developing marketing opportunities and plans, understanding consumer requirements, identifying market trends, and suggesting system improvements to achieve the company's marketing goals.

“Implementing new sales plans and advertising is hugely important to our agenda and we ensure we stay ahead of our customer needs by maintaining relationships with important clients - making regular visits, understanding their needs, and anticipating new marketing opportunities.”

Generics in Ireland Since 2013, the use of generic medicines and biosimilars have provided savings of ¤1.6bn to the Irish state. There is further potential to save much more, it has been reported recently. A report which was published in September of last year ‘Reductions in the Cost of Medicines’, outlined how the Government can achieve a national saving of up to ¤1 billion over the next five years by switching to generic and biosimilar medicines.

To put into context, ¤200 million of additional saving per annum could be redirected towards additional HSE resources, paying for 6,000 additional nurses or 3,500 extra nursing home beds.

With over 200 formulations on the Irish market, key product areas for Krka include statins, sartans, PPIs, antidepressants and antipsychotics.

So what marks success for Keith and how does Krka set themselves apart from their key competitors?

Put simply Keith says, “We produce innovative generic medicines with added value.

“There are a number of factors which are key to our growth,” Keith adds. “Strong relationships and partnerships with customers is one of them. We adhere to a very ‘customer-centric’ approach, which involves working with customers to overcome problems together.

“We are a small dynamic team of highly skilled professionals within the Ireland office,” he adds.

“Everyone has a ‘can-do’ attitude which puts our trustworthiness to the fore. Our competitive pricing and reliable supply chain sets us apart, in my opinion.

“We have a vertically integrated business model – with which we manage our products from start to finish – gives us flexibility to quickly adapt to changes in market situation and patient demand.”

Keith Sheridan, Sales & Marketing Manager, Krka generics market. The Krka field sales team have all been working from home since March 2020 but they have managed to grow the business by focusing on areas within their control; reliable supply of products, competitive pricing and by being dependable.

“We began to re-introduce our staff back to the office on a gradual basis,” he reflects, “limiting the number of staff to four per day to allow for social distancing and safety. We had weekly skpye calls with all team members to catch up on current business needs and to make sure we continued to supply our customers and patients in Ireland. We also decided to work with the IPN on a number of advertising opportunities to continue to keep our name and messaging to the community pharmacies. We are here to support you and your needs.

Despite the unprecedented year that was 2020 and the challenges Covid-19 brought, Krka managed to achieve huge success, noting their best results yet to date.

Furthermore, they managed to maintain continuity of supply, despite the Brexit threats.

“Until we see an easing of the current lockdown restrictions and a return to post covid life, it is quite hard to predict the market and how the population will react,” Keith adds. “People will be very cautious and will be concerned to see if we have any further waves. However with the population mixing again, common illnesses will likely return and patients will need to visit GP’s and pharmacies more regularly.

Covid combined with Brexit brought much uncertainty to the

“With regards to Brexit, all of our products are of European

Dealing with Challenges

Origin and are manufactured in Slovenia, Germany, Croatia, Poland or Russia. We already had contingency plans in place to change our distribution routes to ensure continued supply.”

In concluding, Keith turns his attention to the future, for the remainder of 2021 and beyond.

“I think we will witness growing demands on our healthcare system; an ageing population and higher incidence of chronic diseases, moving forward. This will go hand-in-hand with an increased use of generics, I envisage greater interchangeability.

“For Krka, we have a strong R&D pipeline of over 170 products and plan to launch many new products on the Irish market over the coming years. I am very optimistic about the future.”

Meet The Team

Amy Hodgins, Brand Manager, Krka

Cathy Prior, Sales Associate, Krka

Cian O’Brien, Sales Associate, Krka

Feroze Nanzeen, Regulatory Manager, Krka

Brian Lennon, Market Analyst, Krka

Georgina Reynolds, Logistics Associate, Krka

John Liu, Chief Accountant, Krka

Bridget McQuillan, Accountant, Krka

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